Part 18- Living in the Blessing

August 06, 2021 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 10:1-3 NLT

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 18 is called, “Living in the Blessing”, and we will discuss how what the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good. The question we will ask today is, what is God’s reward to mankind when His covenant people are blessed?

1 King Xerxes imposed a tribute throughout his empire, even to the distant coastlands.

Imposing a tax:

In our very first blog about King Xerxes (Esther 1) we found that he was a man who surrounded himself with the richest of the rich. But the percentage of famously wealthy people was small compared to the population of the Empire. Yes, Susa, the capital, was dripping in wealth and housed the most powerful army in the world at that time! However, the rest of the provinces of the empire had their main street with shops, the sector where the elite lived, and then, the rest of the people.

Up until now, no tax was required of the people who lived in the distant coast lands. This means that the people living in those areas were under tax exempt status because they were the poorest of the poor and you can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip.

The Economy of the Persian Empire:

After the entire Haman debacle and the reversal of all of his evil plans to annihilate the Jews, the economy of the entire Empire flipped! King Xerxes finally saw the light and passed laws that protected and saved the Jews from their enemies. “The Blessing” of Abraham and his descendants was “imposed” upon all of the people!

“Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed,

And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.” Genesis 12:3; Numbers 24:9.

God was “required” to bless the entire land. His blessing of prosperity began with the king, reached throughout the inner cities and stretched out to the distant coast lands. As the people were blessed with wealth and prosperity, the king was able to tax the citizens in order to supply money for the government treasury.

2 His great achievements and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Media and Persia.

Great achievements:

Xerxes wrote his own autobiography and recorded all of his accomplishments for posterity sake. The annals were meant to be kept forever and read aloud to instruct all future generations.

Placing credit where credit was due, King Xerxes gave prominence to Mordecai for his great acts of heroism, bravery, loyalty, and accomplishments. KIng Xerxes postures himself humbly before Mordecai because he realized that this man had tremendous favor with the most powerful God in the universe and he intended to remain on His good side.

Mordecai not only saved the king’s life, but saved the lives of the Jewish people, and the lives of all the citizens of the Empire. God’s retribution that would have come with the annihilation of the Jews would have been disastrous and the world would have come to an end of itself without the intervention of Mordecai.

3 Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants.

A good and faithful servant:

Xerxes also realized that Mordecai, unlike Haman, was a trusted and loyal subject with pure intentions. Truth was valued in the Persian Empire but Xerxes thought it could only be achieved by wine and drugs. Mordecai spoke truth without fear because he was backed by the God of the Universe, distinguishing him from all other of the richest and most prominent men in the entire empire! It wasn’t just “good business” to make him Prime Minister, it was the will of his God and it was in Xerxes best interest to comply.

Respect:

Tremendous favor surrounded Mordecai. He was respected by the king, by the citizens of the empire, and by his very own people, the Jews. What an unusual display of favor! Not too long before this, Mordecai concealed his Jewish bloodline and the public was now aware of his secret. But God’s favor covered his shame and the people respected him for standing up for them and for representing the will of God.

Prophetically speaking:

Prophetically, Mordecai was looking ahead into the future. He believed God’s promise to send the Messiah to save the people from their sins. It was this hope that caused him to love his people and to work for their good and for the preservation of their descendants. It was this hope that led him to train Esther, who was the next generation, to oversee the continued peace and prosperity of the Jews long after he left this earth. Mordecai lived the rest of his life towards that end.

Let’s pray:

Father,

Like Mordecai, we too must look ahead to the future and believe the Scriptures. We must hold on to faith as we wait for the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus the Messiah will return to earth once more. It is this hope that encourages us to love all people, to work together to fulfill God’s will individually and corporately, and to spread His goodness to all the earth. By precept and example, we must train our future generations towards that end. In Jesus name, Amen.

Part 17- Celebration!

February 24, 2021 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 9:16-32 NLT

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 17 is called, “Celebration!”, and we will discuss how the Feast of Purim came into being. The question we will ask today is why is it so important to memorialize the mighty acts of God?

16 Meanwhile, the other Jews throughout the king’s provinces had gathered together to defend their lives. They gained relief from all their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them. But they did not take any plunder.

Justice:

No longer could the Jews be hunted down, tortured, and murdered like wild animals. Systematically, the Jews dispensed justice on all of their enemies but those who were sympathetic towards them survived. In compliance with the law passed by King Xerxes, the authorities had no choice but to uphold the law and back it with their full support.

When Abraham conquered the four kings of the East who captured Lot in the Battle of Sidom, he refused to take the plunder (Genesis 14: 1-17). His descendants followed his sterling example leaving no doubt that victory was the direct result of God’s mighty intervention to restore justice and not an act of aggression to gain fame and fortune.

17 This was done the provinces on March 7, and on March 8 they rested, celebrating their victory with a day of feasting and gladness. 18 (The Jews at Susa killed their enemies on March 7 and again on March 8, then rested on March 9, making that their day of feasting and gladness.)

Rested:

“Rest” is the Hebrew word “nuwach” which is the same word used in Genesis when Noah’s ark landed safely on Mount Ararat (1). The ark rested on its designated spot protecting its inhabitants from the deathly turmoil that engulfed the earth by the great flood.

No longer in a defensive stance, the enemy was totally subdued and the Jews “rested” by laying down their weapons and ceasing from battle. There is no record that any Jewish person lost their life and or was removed from their homes or lost their possessions. Instead, they remained on their property and regained their status as good neighbors and loyal citizens. More than that! They were considered the most valued of all people groups, highly favored by their powerful God who loved them very much.

Celebrated:

This word for “celebrated” means a feast, a banquet or to drink. It is the Hebrew word “meshteh” and it is used 19 times in the entire book of Esther (2)

Esther 1:3; 1:5; 1:9; 2:18; 5:4; 5:5; 5:6; 5:8; 5:12; 5:14; 6:14; 7:2; 7:7; 7:8; 8:17; 9:17; 9:18; 9:19; and 9:22.

Celebrations throughout the book of Esther were held for various reasons. For example, banquets or celebrations were held to flaunt wealth, promote a social or personal agenda, to network, or to hold discussions of a legal or personal matter. But this celebration was an act of worship, rejoicing in the God Who delivered His people from the evil plots of the wicked.

Celebration was done in the Jewish manner. All work would cease. Special foods would be prepared and shared with all the people, both Jews and Gentiles alike. Worship was expressed through joyful music, dancing, prayers of thanksgiving and the reading of the Holy Scriptures.

Another day was added:

The author made a special note about the two days of celebration. “Day One” was the victory over those who made a public stand against the Jews ready to slaughter them and confiscate their property. “Day Two” was a victory against those in the top level of their governmental infrastructure whose plans were concealed, collecting “damning evidence” against the Jews in order to destroy their reputation and their legacy. God’s justice was thorough in order to maintain peace for His people and to bless all people groups through His people.

19 So to this day, rural Jews living in remote villages celebrate an annual festival and holiday on the appointed day in late winter, when they rejoice and send gifts of food to each other.

Rural Jews:

It is important to note the Jews living in remote villages as opposed to the Jews living in the cities. Imagine living in the backwoods of the most isolated areas of the country with the nearest neighbor living miles and miles away. This group would have been the most vulnerable of all! God’s protection extended to all of His people, even to the farthest reaches of the land.

The Festival of Purim

20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes, 21 calling on them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days. 22 He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.

Mourning to joy!

Without doubt, satan’s intent was to destroy not only the Jews, but all of mankind. Remember, those who curse the covenant people of God, will themselves be cursed (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 49:9; Numbers 24:9). Even though the story of Purim is regarded as an act of God to save His people, in reality, it's a story of an act of God that reveals and deals with corruption so the entire world could be saved.

23 So the Jews accepted Mordecai’s proposal and adopted this annual custom. 27 the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote another letter putting the queen’s full authority behind Mordecai’s letter to establish the Festival of Purim. 30 Letters wishing peace and security were sent to the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of the empire of Xerxes. 32 So the command of Esther confirmed the practices of Purim, and it was all written down in the records.

The Story must be retold every year:

Mordecai and Esther passed a decree that Purim would be retold and celebrated annually for all generations. First, it impresses upon the Gentiles how God’s favor rested on His people and demands that they be treated well. Secondly, it is a reminder to the Jews that He is their salvation.

Interestingly, Mordecai didn’t impose the law to celebrate Purim but desired it to be consented by the Jews of their own volition. In a stunning act of solidarity, all the Jews from the 127 provinces agreed in favor of Mordecai’s and Queen Esther’s motion and the Jews have celebrated Purim for the last 2400 years.

Let’s pray:

Father,

The best way to memorialize the victorious events of the past is to celebrate and rehearse those stories in the present. It is always Your will for us to treat all people well so we can live in peace and security. Help us to remember that Your favor rests on the Jewish people and through them, Jesus came to bring us Your salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.

REFERENCES:

Part 16- Self Defense

November 03, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 9: 1-16 NIV

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 16 is called, “Self Defense”, and we will discuss how the Jews determined who was their enemy. The question we will ask today is, does God expect us to defend ourselves against our enemies??

1 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.

Revealing prejudice:

Those who were silent about their prejudice against the Jews were permitted and encouraged to murder them and confiscate their property by Haman’s edict. How the subjects of the Persian Empire reacted to this edict revealed whether or not they were prejudiced.

In the two months that it took for Mordecai to create a counter-law to Haman’s original edict, a percentage of Gentiles were ordering weaponry. It would stand to reason that they also openly practiced systemic racism by firing Jews on the job, refusing services, vandalism, looting their businesses, anti-Semetic graffiti, setting fire to their properties, public mockery, and the like.

Collecting data:

And it would also stand to reason that is how the Jews determined who was for them and who was against them. Obviously, they had to collect accurate and reliable data to righteously dispense justice. It would stand to reason that this list of people was given to the king and to Mordecai to ensure that the innocent were preserved and judgment passed only on the guilty.

2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. 3 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. 4 Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.

March 7th:

Innocent and vulnerable, the Jews were authorized to defend themselves and their families against these savage and barbaric men. Their enemies were dropping like flies and the men from the neighboring provinces did not come to their defense. In fact, all of the leading government officials and elites assisted the Jews to pass judgment and restore order. What does that mean? They were probably supplied with extra weaponry and had spies report the plans of the enemy. We are talking about serious warfare tactics here! What Haman and his followers planned and attempted to execute on the Jews, fell upon them.

Haman’s legacy destroyed:

The terror that Haman wanted to inflict on Mordecai came to pass upon Haman, his biological sons, and his followers! Mordecai was the second most powerful man in the kingdom. Unlike Haman, he was promoted without licking the king’s boots, manipulating circumstances, controlling people and situations or testing the king’s tolerance level. Haman may have been the only person to attend a banquet alone with the king and queen, but Mordecai was the only person, besides Esther, to enter the presence of the king uninvited, and was still lived to tell the day. And the king granted his request! Wow!! King Xerxes must really think the world of him! Like Joseph, King David, and King Solomon before him, Mordecai’s fame spread throughout the Persian Empire. God’s favor rested on Mordecai; he was respected and his orders were obeyed everywhere he went.

5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.

An eye for an eye:

In self defense, the Jews killed their enemies and probably followed the “eye for an eye” concept given in the Bible in Exodus 21:24; Lev 24:20; and Deut 19:21. In other words, if an enemy destroyed a Jewish person’s property, their property would also be destroyed, and so forth.

6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

500 is the light from sunrise that dispels the night:

“Quph” is the Hebrew letter that carries the numerical value of 500 (1). It means “the concentration of light surrounding the sun when it appears on the horizon” (2). It is the time of day when the sun dispels the night and sheds its glorious light. Everything that was hidden in the cloak of darkness is revealed. God’s light was shed on the hearts of these 500 men, most of them soldiers who lived in the citadel, and they were found guilty.

10 Sons of Haman:

Ten is the number that refers to the law (i.e. The Ten Commandments). Here is a list of the names of the ten sons of Haman and the meaning behind their names:

1) Parshandatha= given by prayer (3)

2) Dalphon= dripping (4)

3) Aspatha= the enticed gathered (5)

4) Poratha= fruitfulness or frustration (6)

5) Adalia=I shall be drawn up of Jah (7)

6) Aridatha=the lion of the decree (8)

7) Parmashta= superior (9)

8) Arisai=lion of my banners (10)

9) Aridai=the lion is enough (11)

10) Vaizatha=strong as the wind= Jezebel Spirit (12)

Haman’s life goals:

We can see the progression of Haman’s logic and life goals over this time by looking at the names of his sons. It appears that he had them ready to govern, each over their own districts.

The first son, he was praying to the gods of darkness.

The second was dripping with anointing from the gods of darkness.

The third would be charming and have followers of his cult.

The fourth would be fruitful in each evil endeavor.

The fifth would be lifted up or exalted by this dark god.

The sixth would establish laws that promoted evil agendas.

The seventh would be superior even to his other brothers.

The eighth would be a banner, or recognizes the ideals of a country, ideals that conformed to the dark gods he worshiped.

The ninth would be the lion is enough, in other words, this lion would take over the previous lion (Xerxes) Or the lion’s characteristics are enough to rule the provinces with an iron hand.

And the tenth is strong as the chaotic wind such as a tornado. It is a reference to the attribute of God, the Holy Spirit but he is referring to an evil spirit that surpasses and dominates the wind or breath of God.

No spoils:

Like Abraham, who conquered the four kings of the east and rescued Lot, he did not take any of the spoils of war so that no one would accuse him of being rich because of this victory. His victory and his riches came from the blessing of God. The Jews followed his example according to Genesis 14:21-24.

11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”

The Fear of the Lord:

It has been about 10 months since Mordecai became second in command of Persia and King Xerxes is acutely aware how well respected he has become throughout the empire. King Xerxes astutely concludes that the God of the Jews is pleased with Mordecai and has elevated him in the eyes of everyone. This is exactly what Haman so keenly desired to impress upon the king and his subjects, but miserably failed in Esther chapter 6.

The reputation of the God of the Jews is world renowned and Xerxes has developed a healthy respect for Him. Esther enters the king’s court a third time and he gives her a report of the damage done so far. In order to remain in the good graces of this God, Mordecai, and Esther, Xerxes humbled himself and guaranteed that her petition would be carried out even before she voiced it.

13 “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.” 14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

The end of the Agagites:

Posterity was very important to the ancient peoples. In fact, Haman bragged about having ten sons in Chapter 7. Impaling the dead sons of Haman was a sign to all the people of the empire that Haman and his posterity were destroyed. In effect, this was the genocide of the Agagites, yet another reversal of what Haman attempted to do to the Jews.

Susa, Capital of the Persian Empire:

Susa was allowed an extra day to hunt down anti-Semites. Remember, Susa is the capital of the Persian Empire and would compare to current day Washington D.C. The citadel (army base) of the largest army in the world at that time was located here. Also, the most elite governors, satraps, nobles, and king officials lived and worked in Susa.

300 is a bow that symbolizes victory:

The following day, after the slaughter of five hundred men who were determined to annihilate the Jews, three hundred more men were discovered who opposed them as well. It would appear that they had uncovered clandestine operations, secretly collecting data on Jewish people that can be used against them. They would have also uncovered covert operations, undercover actions conducted to negatively influence a course of events against the Jews. These men were also killed.

“Shin” is the Hebrew letter that carries the numerical value of 300 (13). Ancient texts record that shin represents a composite bow (14). In the Bible, the bow symbolizes victory.

Psalm 7:12 ISV

If the ungodly one doesn't repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will string his bow and prepare it.

16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder.

More men killed than the number of Jews in total:

Haman made the point that they were a people that were less in number and scattered throughout the empire (Esther 3:8). For sure, more men were killed than there were Jews that lived in the empire at that time.

75,000:

Let’s look at the number of 75,000. In Hebrew, the numbers are often added or multiplied. This is how we will combine the numbers to equal 75,000.

70 + 5 x 1000.

The letter “Ayin” has the numerical value of 70, and it means “The Eyes of the Lord”(15). In Scripture, the eyes of the Lord observes good and evil and searches to strengthen the righteous.

Proverbs 15:3, the eyes of the Lord observe both good and evil.

2 Chronicles 16:9. The eyes of the Lord searches throughout the earth to strengthen those who are righteous and whose hearts are fully committed to him.

The letter “Hey” has the numerical value of 5 and means “the breath of God” (16).

In Scripture, the breath of God is His word or His voice.

Psalm 33:6, By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

Genesis 1:3, Then God said (Hey), “Let there be light”.

1000 stands for an entire age or era.

So 75,000 would symbolize the God who sees and observes good and evil and strengthens the righteous by speaking (breath) into their situation, shedding light upon what is evil and delivering the righteous for all ages.

Let’s pray:

Father,

Prejudice is abhorrent and causes nothing but pain and destruction. It is Your will that we respect one another. Remove any prejudice from my heart and give me the love that You have for all people. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

KJV

13. https://www.agapebiblestudy.com/documents/The%20Significance%20of%20Numbers%20in%20Scripture.htm

14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_(letter)#:~:text=In%20colloquial%20Hebrew%2C%20Kaph%20and,written%20in%20a%20Sefer%20Torah.

15. https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Ayin/ayin.html

16. https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Hey/hey.html

Part 14- Poetic Justice

September 18, 2020 by Cee Maria

Esther 7 NLT

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 14 is called, “Poetic Justice”, and we discuss how Esther presents her petition to the king. The question we will ask today is, what happens to those who try to kill God’s people?

1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet:

Respect:

Esther cordially invited Xerxes and Haman to another banquet. Xerxes returned the honor by gracing Esther with his presence. He made certain that Haman also accepted the invitation and ordered Harbona, the palace charioteer, to pick up Haman on time.

2 On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

Second banquet:

This is the second banquet Esther prepared for her husband indicating that she is reverencing him with double the honor. One banquet would not have been enough to give tribute to so great a king! And Haman is the only other guest to attend, both times! No wonder he was over the moon!

Wine:

In the King James version of the Bible, the word wine is recorded six times in the Book of Esther. The Persians mixed wine with drugs as a truth serum to loosen tongues and gather information (1). Xerxes will later find out that even though he’s used wine as a means to gather information, this method has failed miserably. He was totally in the dark about the most important piece of information of all! His very own wife was a Jew and her foster father was his most faithful servant who saved his life.

The number 6:

In Hebrew, the number six represents man, imperfection and incompleteness (2). As humans, we are flawed, our perspective and methods are finite and incomplete. Only God’s is perfect. His perspective is infinite and His course of action is absolutely faultless.

Not in the know:

Xerxes prides himself in being privy to all of the latest news in the empire. Yet, he cannot fathom what Esther wants or needs. His curiosity was eating him up. Haman is also intrigued but says nothing because he has his “all knowing” facade to protect. So he patiently waits to hear Esther’s request.

Third time Xerxes asked the question:

This is the third time that Xerxes asks Esther about her request. He was willing to give her up to half of his kingdom because he trusted her implicitly.

Esther is offered a coveted position:

Esther would be capable of governing half the kingdom. It would force the other kings in the empire to view her as a strategic ally and one of the wealthiest and most influential people in the empire. As one of his main counselors, Esther would have access to all of the inside information and would participate in the decision making process.

3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared.

Stumped:

This is the third time that Esther ignores his offer. Xerxes must have been dumbfounded that she did not jump at this extraordinary opportunity. But, she has something much more pressing to address!

Segments:

Notice that Esther delivers her information in segments so Xerxes can digest what she is relaying. First she asks that her life be saved and then for the lives of her people. But, Xerxes still does not comprehend what she is asking of him. Who would want to kill her? From what people did she come from and why do their lives need to be spared?

4 For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.”

Clueless:

Xerxes disassociated himself and Haman from the incident that happened a little over a month ago. He is still clueless as to what she is referring to.

5 “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?”

Who are you talking about?

Do you hear what he is saying? Who would concoct such a massive and maniacal plan in order to have the queen killed? Attempting to clear away his mental fog from the wine mixed with drugs, he first deduces that this man is someone he is familiar with. And second, this man is so full of himself that he is totally confident that the king would choose him over his wife! Haman never crossed his mind. Xerxes’ greatest concern was the safety of his wife.

6 Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen.

Wicked, adversary and enemy:

Haman depicted the Jews in three terms; Separatists, Sovereign Citizens, and Expatriates. In fact, he never called them by name.

Esther finally makes it clear to Xerxes who she is speaking of and calls him out by name. Interestingly, she depicted him in three terms; wicked, an adversary and an enemy.

Wicked is defined as a person who is malignant, someone who is morally and ethically evil (3). Esther was communicating to Xerxes that Haman is not at all someone who practices this “Good Religion” as he claims.

Adversary is defined as an opponent, someone who is against you (4). Esther is telling the king that this man is not supporting Xerxes agenda for the empire, but is pushing his own agenda.

Enemy is defined as someone who has deep hatred and is hostile towards another (5). She is saying that Haman may appear to be a friend, but in reality, he plans a hostile invasion of the kingdom.

Even more to the point, Haman is “their” adversary and enemy. He hates the king, his wife, all of their citizens, and especially the Jews.

Lies will come back to bite you:

And if this is the case, it appears that the person he wanted to kill the most was Queen Esther, not Mordecai. In fact, this was not so. Haman had no idea that she was Jewish. He was not as “all knowing” as he claimed to be. But Xerxes didn’t know that. More importantly, Haman’s true character is no longer hidden and the blinders were removed from Xerxes’ eyes.

7 Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden.

Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him.

Duped:

Xerxes has learned from his “Vashti experience” to remove himself from a situation before making a knee jerk decision. Walking through the garden, Xerxes rewound the video in his mind and reviews Esther’s words. He recalls Haman depositing 10,000 talents of silver into the treasury even though he was told to keep his money. Then, Haman described the Jews as Separatists, Sovereign Citizens, and Expatriots just waiting to spring up in a rebellion against the king. Convinced that Haman was divinely inspired by the gods with this foresight to keep the peace of the empire, Xerxes handed over his signet ring so the decree to annihilate the Jews was signed, sealed and delivered.

Then he analyzed his relationship with Esther. Right from the beginning, she disclosed his assassination plot by his most trusted guards and saved his life. She doesn't want his money. She’s not climbing the social ladder and she’s not playing political games. Xerxes had to absorb the fact that his most trusted confidant, Haman the astrologer, was not just after the Jews, but also his beloved queen, and intended to overthrow him. He had to accept the fact that he had been duped.

Haman fell into his own trap:

Haman understood how all of this situation appeared to be and that is how Haman knew that the king intended to kill him. It was his “all knowing” facade that would be his trap.

8a In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden.

Quaking in his boots:

Haman was so frightened that his knees knocked. He found himself in the state of fear that he attempted to induce upon Mordecai.

8b The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom.

Arrogant and obnoxious:

Xerxes knew that Esther was innocent. Xerxes may have concluded that Haman would consider Esther beneath him because she is a Jew and in his arrogance, proceed to harass her. He may have also witnessed Haman being obnoxious with other women, and just arrived at this conclusion.

The hood:

The king’s attendants immediately thrust a hood on Haman’s face signifying that he was guilty of betraying the king, and judged him to be executed. This is the second time Haman wears a hood. In Esther chapter 6 verse 12 of the King James version, Haman pulls a hood over his head as a sign of mourning after he leads Mordecai’s horse around the city.

Darkness:

The last emotions he would ever feel while living on this earth would be mourning, terror, hopelessness, and condemnation. The enlightenment from the gods that Haman the astrologer claimed to possess suddenly turned dark. The king would never lay eyes on Haman’s face again.

9 Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.”“Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered.

On the same page:

Harbona was the eunuch who picked up Haman for the banquet. His name means “driver” (6). He saw the sharpened pole being erected at Haman’s backyard with his very own eyes.

For a king’s eunuch to speak up before the king motioned to them would indeed be a rare thing. These eunuchs were very familiar with Xerxes and knew what to do before he even spoke. Everyone was on the same page. The king and the eunuchs were completely loyal to Esther and postured themselves to protect her.

50 stands for Jubilee:

This version says the pole was 75 ft but in actuality, it was 50 cubits. The 50 is important because it stands for Jubilee (7). On Jubilee, everything that was lost or stolen would be restored.

In this case, we are about to witness a reversal of a law that was not supposed to be disputed. God’s covenant people will miraculously be spared and all of their enemies would be destroyed instead! Haman intended to eventually get rid of the king and become ruler supreme of Persia. Rather, Xerxes became the king used by God to save His people.

10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

Relief:

This time, it was the king that needed relief from his fury against Haman because of all the damage he has caused. With Haman dead, Xerxes no longer had to be wary of being used as a tool for needless destruction, or of Haman staging a coup and deposing him from his throne, or losing his wife. Haman’s impalement was a public statement to the citizens of Susa and the Persian Empire that this is what happens to a man that displeases the king. This is what happens to those who try to kill God’s people.

Let’s pray:

Father,

You do not tolerate evil. Although the enemy conspires and sets a trap against Your people, they eventually fall into their own pit. They are crushed by their own devices and caught in the web of their own lies. Help me Father, never to harm anyone in any way. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Culture/wine_good.htm
Dream Encounter Symbols, Barbie Breathitt Ministries, www.BreathoftheSpiritMinistries.com
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7451&t=KJV
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversary
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H340&t=NLT
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H5307&t=NLT
Dream Encounter Symbols, Barbie Breathitt Ministries, www.BreathoftheSpiritMinistries.com

Part 11- God Saves the Humble

August 07, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 5: 1-8 NLT

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 11 is called, “God Saves the Humble”, and we discuss how Esther obtains favor with King Xerxes. The question we will address today is, what happens when we humble ourselves before God?

Prayer and fasting:

Mordecai’s intercession opened up the door for God to soften the hearts of the Jewish population in all of the Persian empire. Many Jews turned to God and prayed in unity for their deliverance.

Mordecai’s intercession also allowed God to work on Esther’s heart. When Esther heard the cause of Mordecai’s mourning, she was deeply distressed. She struggled with her foster father’s command to go to the king and mediate on behalf of her people. But, she humbled herself before God and realized that she was crowned queen at this time and in this place, to save her people.

But she needed courage that could only come from God. At Esther’s command, Mordecai rounded up all the Jews of Susa and told them to fast for her. He revealed to them that their queen was a Jew and she will represent them to the king and plead for their lives. Many of the Jews were already in mourning and in prayer. When they combined those elements with fasting, they watched God perform miracle after miracle.

Esther 5:1

On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance.

On the third day:

Three is significant because it refers to the Trinity. Three also means resurrection. Jesus arose from the dead on the third day and reversed the situation that was meant to destroy His movement. On the third day, Esther marched into the inner court of the palace to reverse the decree that would annihilate her people.

Moving forward in God’s will:

Without an invitation from the king, and under the penalty of death, the time has come for Esther to move forward in God’s will. Using her authority as queen, she dressed in her royal robes because she was visiting the king in a business capacity and she entered the royal court. Robes also represent righteousness and justice in the Bible (Job 29:14 & Isaiah 61:10). Representing God’s people and His agenda, Esther entered the inner court of Persia to rectify an egregious wrong and to dispense justice.

Esther 5:2

When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter.

The results of prayer and fasting:

I always heard that fasting is for the individual in order to amplify the voice of God in our own spirit. And certainly that is true. However, fasting combined with prayer also opens the spiritual door for God to work on the heart’s of others. The book of Esther is proof positive of this.

Prayer and fasting is the ultimate act of humility before God. It shows Him that there is nothing in this world that can change a heart or alter dire circumstances so we can only depend on Him for an answer. Esther just experienced a miracle! The 3 days of prayer and fasting softened the king’s heart.

Remember, if the king did not extend his scepter to someone who was not invited into the inner court, they would be put to death. Esther made a bold move by coming into the court without an invitation. But, Xerxes didn’t interpret her action as an act of defiance. His eyes were open to what a jewel he had in Esther. He didn’t want to repeat the same mistake he made with Vashti. Esther was warmly received into his presence and he immediately extended his golden scepter to preserve her life.

Esther 5:3

Then the king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

Favor brings salvation:

Humility produced the grace of God, His divine favor that enveloped Esther. Divine favor brings salvation, the deliverance of a person or an entire people from peril. Not only did Xerxes publicly honor her and preserve her life, but he was determined to fulfill her desire.

Titus 2:11

For the grace (divine favor) of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men...

Esther 5:4

And Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king.”

Esther believed God answers prayer:

Esther definitely believed that God would answer the prayers of His people and respond to their fast. Ready for the occasion, she entered the inner court in the capacity of queen, but appealed to Xerxes as a loving wife who respected her husband. She did not come empty handed but arranged for her servants to prepare all his favorite foods! Not only that, Esther invited his best friend, Haman, to the feast.

Esther 5:5

The king turned to his attendants and said, “Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to Esther’s banquet.

Go get Haman!

Xerxes stopped all orders of business and responded to her request. Immediately, he dispatched his men to drive Haman over to Esther’s banquet. He probably thought that Esther was in need of his services to divine the future.

Esther 5:6

And while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

Wine:

Xerxes and his wine. Yep. He firmly believed that truth could only be revealed when wine was flowing in the veins. He appreciated Esther’s respectful and generous gesture. But he knew his wife had a very personal need that only he could meet. Filled with love towards his bride, he was determined to take care of her problem and was willing to give her half of his kingdom. He said it twice and he really meant it.

Esther 5: 7,8

Esther replied, “This is my request and deepest wish. If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about.”

The number 2:

Twice, the king offered Esther half of his kingdom, and twice she requested that he attend her banquet. Esther’s response was revealing. In other words, she is about to tell him the entire truth and it wouldn’t require wine to do so.

The number 2 can mean division. In this case, Xerxes is certainly taking action against God’s will while Esther is in the process of reestablishing God’s will. Two can also mean that two become one physically, emotionally, in spirit, and in purpose.

It is my opinion that the Holy Spirit prompted Esther not to make her request the first time around, but to prepare another banquet the following day. Fasting and prayer does amplify the voice of God in our hearts and Esther was listening and submitting to her heavenly Father just as she has submitted to her earthly father all her life.

Let’s pray:

Father,

Fasting with prayer amplifies Your voice in my spirit and softens the hearts of those I am praying for. I humble myself before You. Thank You for surrounding me with Your divine favor that brings salvation, my deliverance from danger. In Jesus name, Amen.

Part 10- Facing the Truth

August 01, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 4:5-17 NLT

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 10 is called, “Facing the Truth”, and we discuss how Mordecai and Esther came to accept their responsibility to God and their people. The question we will address today is, why is truth so important?

Esther 4: 5-6

5 Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate.

Finding the truth of the matter:

Esther couldn’t just send anyone to take care of this highly sensitive matter. It was vital that she knew what was happening to Mordecai. So, she sends her most trusted eunuch, Hathach, whose name actually means “verily” or “truth” (1). She depended on him to relay her message to Mordecai and to return with his response.

Esther 4: 7-9

7 Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. 9 So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai’s message.

Sacks of silver, a copy of the decree, and the ultimate sacrifice:

Mordecai conveyed the entire story to Hathach and made emphasis on the exact amount of money Haman promised to pay for the destruction of the Jews. Esther would understand the symbolism concerning the 10,000 talents of silver. In essence, the king would be under his thumb and Haman would be in control of the kingdom of Persia . To verify what the decree read, he made a copy for Esther in his own handwriting so she would have in her possession all of the accurate information. Then Mordecai did the unthinkable. Just as Abraham willingly sacrificed Isaac on the altar, Mordecai willingly sacrificed Esther and demanded that she would go to the King and beg for the lives of her people.

Esther 4: 10-12

10 Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” 12 So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai.

Thirty days:

And this is why Esther did not know what happened between her husband and Haman. Because of the unusual length of time, she’s been marking the x’s on her calendar and counting the days since her last meeting. Xerxes’ has been spending all of his time with his right hand man, Haman. And all this stuff happened within this 30 day time frame. Through Hathach, she reminded Mordecai of the Persian law that anyone who appears before the king without extending the golden scepter will die.

The king’s scepter:

A scepter is a staff and it indicates that the holder of the staff is supreme or sovereign. Gold symbolizes glory and divinity. When the scepter is extended to someone, they are accepted into the presence of a sovereign.

Esther 4: 13, 14

13 Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Mordecai faces the truth:

Here is Mordecai’s moment of truth. He loved Esther more than his own life, In fact, he loved her more than he loved God. From the moment Mordecai took her in he had her deny her ethnicity, the public observance of her religion, and marry a Gentile in order to spare her persecution and to save her life. All these decisions were made against the teachings of the Scriptures. A repentant Mordecai knew by the Spirit of God that she would be killed with all of the other Jews if she did not fulfill her obligation to God and to her people.

Mordecai corrects his wrongs:

Mordecai knew the prophecies well and understood that the Jewish race would continue because the Messiah would come regardless of what would happen to them. But, they would be judged for not following the Scriptures and not speaking up for their people. Mordecai was telling his precious daughter that although he made many dire mistakes, that God in His bountiful mercy will use the situation for His glory.

Esther 4: 15, 16
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

Unity is step #1:

The first observation made to Xerxes by Haman when he presented his case against the Jews was: There are a people group scattered throughout your empire...

The first thing Esther is inspired by the Holy Spirit to do is to reveal to her people that their queen is a Jew and to unite the Jews who are in her city so they can represent the rest of the Jewish population. After all, it would take days or even weeks to dispatch her request for all Jews to fast given the size of the empire.

A call to fast:

Again, Esther relies on Scripture as precedence for fasting and a victorious result. She requests that both Jews and Gentiles (as the Gentile people of Nineveh fasted and God forgave them) fast for her. This parallels Haman depending on the planetary movements and the casting of dice to guarantee a successful date.

The number 3:

The number three carries significance. Always, three is associated with the Trinity. The Jews knew God as Father, and they understood the working of the Holy Spirit. At this point in time, they were waiting for the Messiah to reveal Himself and be their deliverer.

Three also signifies resurrection, the dead being brought back to life. Jesus died and all of his life and ministry appeared to die with Him. But, on the third day this situation was reversed and He resurrected back to life and His movement powerfully advanced forward.

Esther faces the truth:

Esther realized that Mordecai had misplaced his love of God for her, and she repented of loving her own life above loving God. Like her foster father, her will and purpose became united with God’s will and purpose. She accepted her responsibility to God and to her people, even if it meant her death.

Esther 4:17

17 So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

True submission:

Mordecai submitted to her authority and complied with her request. This also parallels Esther submitting to his authority all of her life. It wasn’t a question of “who to submit to” it was a question of honesty and “doing the right thing.”

Let’s pray:

Father,

When my will is united with Your will, anything is possible! Open my eyes to see the truth of the matter. Bring to my attention those things that have replaced my love for You. I repent of it. Now, I am willing to take responsibility for Your purpose in my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

1) https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H2047&t=KJV

Part 9- Mordecai Mourns for His People

July 26, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 4: 1-3

When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 9 is called, “Mordecai Mourns for His People”, and we discuss why the Jewish people would rent their clothes, put on sackcloth, and cover themselves with ashes. The question we will address today is, what does godly mourning produce?

The right place at the right time:

Mordecai was a palace official for several years at this point. As such, he was able to hear the story in its entirety of how Haman convinced King Xerxes to turn against the Jews. Yes, this news was hard to bear, but he needed to know the accurate details. God will put you in the right place, at the right time, to hear the right information.

The renting of clothes, wearing of sackcloth, and covered in ashes:

There are several instances recorded in the Bible of people expressing their deep distress and sorrow by publicly wearing burlap or sackcloth and covering their bodies with ash.

Joshua 7:

The Israelites were in a battle with the men of Ai. Although the city had a small population, this small group of men were slaughtering the Israelites. Terrified, Joshua knew that if the news of their defeat spread, the surrounding cities would swarm down on the Israelites. In desperation, he and the elders ripped their clothes, scooped dust on their heads, and sought after God for a miraculous intervention. God answered Joshua by revealing why his army was defeated and giving him directions on how to win the battle.

Jonah 3:

Another famous incident occurred with Jonah, who was instructed by God to warn the people of Nineveh that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. Everyone, young and old wore sackcloth and fasted. The king himself removed his royal robes and humbled himself by wearing sackcloth and sat in ashes (Jonah 3:6) . This happened between 900-800 BC, well before the time of Esther. Of course, Mordecai and Esther would have been familiar with this text. Nineveh was a Gentile city, and God in His mercy, heard the cries of the people who were not in covenant with Him and spared them.

Esther 4:

Mordecai, a palace official of the Persian Army, humbled himself before God by removing his uniform, donning mourning clothes of sackcloth, and covering himself in ash. He readied himself to appeal his case to God in the courtroom of heaven.

Mordecai cried a loud and bitter wail:

The word cry in this verse means: “an outcry, a cry of exclamation for aid” (1) .

This is the same word for cry that is used in Genesis 18:20. God heard the cry that came out of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was so extreme that all of heaven stopped to listen to it and two angels were immediately dispatched to investigate the matter.

I want you to notice the word “wept” In John 11:35. The verse reads, “Then Jesus wept”. The word for wept not only means the shedding of tears, but to mourn, to bemoan, to bewail (2) .

Sounds exactly like what Mordecai was doing, doesn’t it?! This was not a wail that came only from the human soul. Only with the aid of the Holy Spirit, can man express what cannot be put into words.

Romans 8:26-27

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

The Holy Spirit descended upon Mordecai and interceded through him. That cry parted from his lips, landed on God’s ears, and caught the immediate attention of heaven.

Keeping the laws of the land:

Notice that Mordecai complied with Persian laws and did not break any, not even “in the name of God”. He remained outside the palace gate while wearing mourning clothes just as the law required.

Esther 4:4

When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the burlap, but he refused it.

Of course, Esther was shocked to hear that Mordecai was in mourning clothes. First of all, this practice pertains only to the Jewish culture and she may not have known that Mordecai had already disclosed to the public the fact that he is a Jew. A short while ago, he admitted it to the other palace officials when confronted as to why he disregarded the king’s order to bow down to Haman.

Secondly, Esther realized her foster father was deeply distraught. Raised as an observant Jew, she was well acquainted with this practice and what it meant. Only in extreme cases did the Jews put on sackcloth and ashes. Blind sided and unprepared, something devastating had just happened and Esther realized that her people needed a miracle.

Haman points out the Jews are scattered:

Let’s take a look at how Haman began his case against the Jews and God’s response to this accusation.

Esther 3:8

Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire that keep themselves separate from everyone else.”

Scattered and divided:

Unlike satan, God is omniscient and He was well aware of Haman’s conversation with King Xerxes. Haman observed that the Jews were scattered geographically, so that made them an easy target. Not only that, but it is safe to assume they were divided in their approach of how to express their faith. Like Mordecai, a good percentage of Jews hid their nationality and divorced themselves from their own people. Others, like Esther’s family, were open about their beliefs.

Miraculously united:

History tells us that the Jewish people have reacted in a number of different ways when they found themselves in a dire state of affairs. Notice that when they read the verdict in their respective provinces, they didn’t respond by signing a suicide pact or organizing a rebellion. No! Mordecai’s intercession activated the Holy Spirit to move on the hearts of all the Jewish people. The Holy Spirit descended upon them and they prayed God’s will through loud and bitter groans. Although the Jews were scattered geographically, miraculously, they became united in spirit.

God softened the hearts of His people, causing a unity of purpose. And that purpose is to paralyze the forces of darkness from annihilating them.

Let’s pray:

Father,

When something devastating blindsides me, soften my heart so I can pray in line with Your will and purpose. May the Holy Spirit descend on Your Church and unite Your people so we can be one in spirit. And together, I pray that we advance Your purpose which is always to paralyze the forces of darkness that come against us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

References:

Part 8- Haman's Genocidal Plot

July 11, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 3: 7-15 NLT, BSB

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 8 is called, “Haman’s Genocidal Plot”, and we discuss how Haman presents his case against the Jews to Xerxes. The question we will address today is, how did Haman convince Xerxes to pass the law to annihilate the Jews?

Esther 3:7-15

7 So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.

The purim (dice) were cast in Haman’s presence, so the king had done this before without him and probably regretted it. Xerxes needed Haman’s input because he obviously had proven to be accurate in the past.

In ancient Persia, purim were cast to decide the best day that a yet to be determined action would be successful. The Bible records that the day determined was March 7th of the following year, 473 B.C. (1&2).

8 Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live.

Once the date was determined by the stars and the casting of dice, the agenda would then be decided upon. Flattered that the king made certain that he was there for the very important event of the casting of purim, Haman approached the king about what campaign should be pursued on March 7th that guaranteed a smashing victory.

Haman had studied Xerxes well. Instead of directly calling out the Jews, he influences Xerxes’ perspective by tagging negative connotations pointing to this people group, accusing them of three acts of opposition.

1). Separatists: “Keep themselves separate from everyone else”

Haman identified these people as Separatists. Separatists are a specific group of people who reside within a larger body of people but differ in their lifestyle and beliefs because of their ethnicity and religion.

In Esther, Chapter 1, Xerxes threw a ginormous party for 6 months and invited all the kings and the elites of his 127 provinces in order to promote his co-governing style and bring solidarity to his kingdom. Xerxes strived for unity and Haman targeted the Jews as being divisive.

2). Sovereign Citizens: “Their laws are different from those of any other people”

Haman interpreted their governing philosophy as one of sovereign citizenship. It is true that this specific group did not follow the customs and traditions of their surrounding countries. But, Haman deceptively conveyed to Xerxes the false impression that the Jews are a defiant people who followed their own rules and refused to conform to the laws of the land.

3). Expatriates: “They refuse to obey the laws of the king”

Haman reasoned that the Jew’s non-compliant attitude was an affront to the king. Xerxes should be proactive and not wait for a situation to arise. Currently, they are scattered throughout the empire and it would be more difficult to get rid of them should they have more time to propagate and become a larger and united demographic. Certainly, he did not want to be humiliated and then go through all the trouble of covering his backside. Nope. Xerxes could avoid all that mess.

Skillfully, Haman inferred that the Jews were expatriates, a people that pledged their loyalty to the nation of Israel but lived off the bounty of Persia and the good graces of the king. When the Jews would be required to submit to a law of the king that did not match up to their ways, they would muster up their courage and refuse to obey.

Haman’s conclusion: “It is not in the king’s interest to let them live”

Don’t give this scattering of people the opportunity to unite. No! Stop them now before they increase in number and begin an insurrection! Let the world know that they are worthless nobodies! Don’t allow them to take advantage of the greatness of Persia and the king. Only, Haman didn’t want the Jews to be banished:-he wanted to annihilate them.

The clincher:

9 If it pleases the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”

Blood money:

Haman, who is apparently filthy rich and the most influential person in Persian Empire next to the king, wants the Jewish people destroyed and he will deposit an enormous amount of his own money into the treasury to get it done.

To give you an idea how much 10,000 large sacks of silver is worth, it is estimated to be approximately anywhere between $96 million to $420 billion (2&3). However, the real meaning of this amount is in the symbolism.

10:

The number 10 in Hebrew is a symbol for “the law”. Remember the ten commandments in Exodus 20?

1000:

The number 1000 can be interpreted as “to be completely owned” or “to be in possession of” such as the cattle on a thousand hills belong to God (Psalm 50:10). In other words, all the hills and everything on them are owned by God.

Silver:

Silver is symbolic of redemption, an act of reparation for a fault or wrongdoing (4).

What did all this mean to King Xerxes?

In the Hebrew numeric system, it is quite common to add or multiply numbers. Here, we are looking at 10x1000= 10,000.

Haman was telling Xerxes that this deposit would mean that he would be involved with all the decisions regarding the laws and regulations of Persia (10 symbolizing the law).

The meaning of 1000, symbolizing to completely own, would indicate that King Xerxes would be obligated to Haman and laws can only be created and passed with his approval.

Haman was a direct descendant of King Agag and the silver would stand for the reparation of the wrongdoing that was done to his ancestor. The Jewish Prophet Samuel had slaughtered King Agag in front of King Saul of Israel because Saul disobeyed God’s command.

10 The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

Listen to Xerxes’s response.

Esther 3: 11 Berean Study Bible

“Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”

Xerxes knew exactly what Haman meant by replenishing the royal treasury with 10,000 sacks of silver. He needed the powers that Haman possessed. Their codependent relationship was not one that he could afford to lose. Since it was established that March 7th would be a successful date, Xerxes determined that this people group was trouble waiting to happen and this campaign will be victorious.

So in order to keep him happy, Xerxes compromised by handing Haman his signet ring to word-craft the law and seal it with his own insignia. Yes, Haman could kill off the Jews but, he wasn’t going to be his puppet by taking the money and be legally bound to him in any way. Or so he thought…

12 So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. 14 A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. 15 At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa.

15b Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

Ancient Persians believed that only in wine can truth be found and wine was often mixed with drugs so the recipient would divulge information (5). Once again, Xerxes pulled his old trick of pouring wine down Haman’s throat hoping that he would spill some deep dark secrets to hold as leverage over him. While they drank, the citizens of Susa were totally befuddled, dumbfounded, and perplexed at the king’s latest decree and wondered what caused this act of aggression against the Jews.

Let’s pray:

Father,

Thank You for exposing another of Satan's tactics. He doesn't even call Your covenant people, Israel, by name. He places them in the most negative light to stir up hatred. I pray against antisemitism. Give me the courage to speak up for what is right. In Jesus name, Amen

References:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/nlt/est/3/1/s_429001
https://www.biblestudytools.com/archive/old-testament/esther-lesson-three-day-3-11566728.html
https://attestationupdate.com/2016/06/23/an-indication-of-persian-wealth-from-the-book-of-esther/
Dream Encounter Symbols, Barbie Breathitt Ministires, www.BreathoftheSpiritMinistries.com
https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Culture/wine_good.htm

Part 7- Mordecai Takes a Stand

June 27, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 3:3-6

Then the palace officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” They spoke to him day after day, but still he refused to comply with the order. So they spoke to Haman about this to see if he would tolerate Mordecai’s conduct, since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 7 is called, “Mordecai Takes a Stand”, and we discuss how Haman reacted when Mordecai refused to bow to him. The question we will address today is, why did Haman plot revenge?

Mordecai’s colleagues:

The palace officials who were Mordecai’s colleagues were astounded that he wouldn’t obey the king’s orders and bow down in worship to Haman and acknowledge him as his superior. They were terrified that they would all be punished for his act of defiance. Apparently, Mordecai was not one to defy the law, so the men approached him about his behavior. Bowing to Haman was Mordecai’s tipping point and it is because of this command that he reveals to his colleagues that he is a Jew; and Jews do not bow down to idols. Remember the three Hebrew children who wouldn’t worship the statue of Nebuchadnezzar? This may have happened 100 years earlier, but the fame of the God of the Hebrews and their miraculous rescue still resonated with the people.

Testing Haman’s powers:

So, in order to distance themselves from Mordecai and clear themselves of any blame, they decided to speak to Haman about Mordecai’s “lack of reverence” and his search for “spiritual truth”. And these guys aren’t entirely innocent. Since Haman is the most famous astrologer in the world and the hearts of all men lay bare before him, why didn’t he intuitively know that Mordecai was Jewish? And, why didn’t he realize that Mordecai wouldn’t bow down before him until it was pointed out to him by these palace officials?

Is Haman all he claims to be?

Doubt had set in the minds of these men, so they tested Haman to check his tolerance level about this situation. Carefully word crafting their case, they presented the facts to Haman and keenly observed his reaction. Would he fly into a rage and have Mordecai interrogated? Would he let on that he was aware of the situation and would take care of it in his own time? Was he going to make Mordecai suffer the consequences for not following the king’s orders and bowing to him? Mordecai’s bold stand and lack of reverence towards Haman became contagious!

Haman’s got some problems:

Like King Xerxes, Haman was in the habit of investigating the matters presented before him and he found the intel to be true. Yes, he could not believe that Mordecai didn’t tremble at his presence and yes, this realization did cause him to be filled with rage. But amazingly, he refrained from reacting impulsively in order to look at the bigger picture.

Doubt leads to loss of control:

Mordecai was a man who was respected and he already planted seeds of doubt into the minds of the palace officials about Haman’s supernatural abilities. Mordecai’s attitude and act of defiance against worshiping him will spread like wildfire among the rest of the Jews. If the Jews won’t worship him, the other citizens will follow suit. If Haman lost control of the people he would also lose his control over the king and this has got to stop! Instead of just aiming for Mordecai, Haman decided that it was necessary to expand his target against all of the Jews throughout the entire Persian empire.

Haman is an Archetype of satan:

Haman is an archetype of satan, the greatest enemy of God’s people (1). In these verses, we are given some characteristics of satan and how he operates. Let’s take a look at them.

1). Satan is a glory hound:

Haman loves the respect of men and needs to be feared and worshiped. Satan is a glory hound and needs mortal men to be in fearful worshipful awe of him.

2). Satan is not omniscient:

Haman is not all knowing. Mortal men, out of fear of being punished themselves, had to bring to his attention that Mordecai would not bow down to him. Satan is not omniscient. It would be wise to keep our mouths shut and not accommodate satan by voicing our observations about others or ourselves.

3). Satan needs to feel superior:

Haman was filled with rage when fear did not intimidate Mordecai into bowing down to him. He couldn’t believe that Mordecai didn’t perceive himself as weak and inferior. Satan needs to feel superior. Nothing enrages satan more than for mortal man to perceive himself as strong in the Lord and not intimidated by him or his tactics.

4). Satan does the research:

Haman does not have a knee jerk reaction but investigates the matter presented to him. He realized that the palace officials were self preserving and that Mordecai just recently publicly revealed his nationality. Satan also takes his time to do the research. He probes us to discover our vulnerabilities and tolerance levels.

5). Satan has a scorched earth policy:

Haman made sure that the outcome of the punishment would make the greatest possible impact. He wasn’t just going to get rid of Mordecai, but annihilate the entire Jewish population!

Satan explores the situation at every possible angle. He is the author of the “scorched earth policy”. He will not only destroy you, but everyone and everything connected to you.

Let’s pray:

Father,

You are the only One Who is deserving of my worship and only You are omniscient and know the hearts of men. Give me the grace to be careful of what I say. I don’t need to fear anyone used by satan or be intimidated by evil tactics because my trust is in You. No matter what weaknesses satan might find in my life, or plans he may devise in his attempts to destroy me, You are my strength and shield. You are my very present help in time of trouble. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

References:

1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haman

Part 6- Haman the Astrologer

June 17, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 3:1-2

Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 6 is called, “Haman the Astrologer”, and we discuss how Haman won the confidence of King Xerxes. The question we will address today is, who is Haman?

Several years have passed since Mordecai saved the king. During this time, King Xerxes promoted Hamen over all the other nobles.

Who is Haman?

We know who the other nobles were, they were named in the first chapter of Esther. Haman is now superior to all of the nobles who were once King Xerxes right hand men.

Haman’s roots:

Just as the author recorded Mordecai’s Jewish roots, he also recorded Haman’s family roots.

Haman, the Persian vizier, means “magnificent” (1). His father’s name was Hammedatha which means “double”. The father of Hammedatha bestowed on his son double the attributes and double the legacy. What line does Haman and Hammedatha come from? They are Agagites. The Bible records the Agagites as far back as the Book of Numbers (Numbers 24:7) and again in 1st Samuel 15, which is approximately 600 years before the time of Esther (3).

What are the attributes of the Agagites?

During the time of Prophet Samuel, King Agag ruled the nation of Amalek. Samuel was told by God that King Saul, a descendant of the Tribe of Benjamin, was to destroy the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they made their exodus from Egypt. So, the people of Amalek had a long history of antisemitism. Their hatred for the Jews ran so deep that God ordered that the nation be completely destroyed, including all the people and all of the cattle.

What is the legacy of the Agagites?

Saul did not completely obey Samuel. He killed the people but kept the best of the cattle for himself. Most egregious of all, he spared Amalek’s ruler, King Agag. It was a little while before Samuel found out about how Saul disobeyed God’s command. But when he did, he met Saul and slaughtered King Agag before his eyes. Unfortunately, King Agag had time and opportunity to produce offspring and Hamen was his direct descendant.

What was Haman’s occupation?

According to Rabbinical literature, Haman was an astrologer, which is why he was in the practice of casting lots or pur (4&5). He communicated with occult spirits by studying the movement of the planets and stars. It was his belief that planetary and stellar positions influenced the lives of people and were a predictor of future events. Casting lots would indicate whether or not a certain date would produce a negative or positive outcome.

Haman was good at his job:

What it looks like is that the nobles of Chapter 1 had given King Xerxes some very bad advice and that he experienced some really negative outcomes. In turn, Xerxes had to have been very impressed with Haman’s predictions, so it is safe to say that his accuracy rating was very high. Xerxes realized that Haman’s information came from very powerful and otherworldly sources and he was not someone who could be easily replaced or tampered with.

Haman tests Xerxes tolerance:

King Xerxes was definitely intimidated by Haman’s powers of the occult, his ability to reveal men’s intentions, and his accuracy in predicting the future. A master of manipulation, Haman tested the boundaries of the King’s tolerance towards him. Haman required that the king demanded his officials to bow down to him as an act of worship. And… King Xerxes allowed it! What king does that?!?! But, he feared Haman and was willing to suffer this humiliation. Xerxes was totally dependent on the information that only Haman could provide.

Mordecai’s reaction:

Just 100 years earlier, there were three Hebrew children who refused to worship a statue of Nebuchadnezzar. They were thrown into the fiery furnace and were rescued by God, Himself. Haman was a man, an Agagite, who hated the Jews. His descendants actively participated in their annihilation. Evil spirits operated through this man to predict the future, but, they are nothing compared to the wisdom and power of the God of the Hebrews. Mordecai, who hid the fact that he was Jewish all of his life, finally reached his tolerance level and refused to bow down and worship this idol.

Let’s pray:

Father,

It is not Your will for me to be fearful or intimidated by people who are master manipulators. Remove all idols from my heart. Cause me to stand for You and Your righteousness. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

References:

Part 5- Mordecai Saves the King

June 05, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 2:21-23

One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh—who were guards at the door of the king’s private quarters—became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. But Mordecai heard about the plot and gave the information to Queen Esther. She then told the king about it and gave Mordecai credit for the report. 23 When an investigation was made and Mordecai’s story was found to be true, the two men were impaled on a sharpened pole. This was all recorded in The Book of the History of King Xerxes’ Reign.

Today we continue with Part 5 of our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Our fifth blog, “Mordecai Saves the King” is about the assassination plot against King Xerxes. The question we will address is, why is Mordecai so loyal to King Xerxes?

The King’s most trusted bodyguards:

Bigthana, and Teresh, were two of the best body guards in the Persian Empire. They were brave, ninja trained, and completely trusted by King Xerxes. Stationed to guard the most vulnerable area of the palace, the king’s private quarters, their duty was to take a bullet for the king.

Evidently, Xerxes did something to these boys that made them so angry, they decided to assassinate him. Airing out their rage, they formulated an ingenious plot so they would never be caught in the act. One or several others caught wind of their conversation and reported it to Mordecai, who quickly relayed the information to Esther. Immediately, Esther informed the King about the intentions of his personal bodyguards.

Loyalty to King and country:

Mordecai’s family were exiled out of Jerusalem to Babylon. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote a letter to the exiles which explained the attitude and actions they should take as they lived out seventy years of captivity.

Jeremiah 29:4-7

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

Mordecai’s relatives took heed to Jeremiah’s prophecy. They built homes, married, and had families. They also made sure that they served the city where they inhabited by being law-abiding citizens and an asset to their society. Following the example of his forefathers, Mordecai also obeyed the word of the Lord. By reporting the plan for a violent overthrow of the king to the proper authority (Esther), he preserved the peace and prosperity of the Susa. He understood that his own welfare was dependent upon the peace and prosperity of the city.

Esther, in turn, followed Mordecai’s example. Her own welfare depended upon the safety and preservation of the king. Immediately, she informed the king and credited Mordecai for disclosing the assasination attempt.

Make sure it's good intel:

Before Xerxes have the guys picked up by the police, he checks out the information given to him. This shows us something about his character. Xerxes is a very careful man who no longer gives into knee jerk reactions. A lesson he learned the hard way when he banished Vashti.

Just the facts:

However, once the facts were proven true and the assassination plot was revealed, Xerxes made a swift and decisive judgement call. Declaring them traitors to the King, he made an example of them. The consequences fit the crime and Bigthana and Teresh were publicly impaled.

Documentation:

Xerxes also liked to document information. It was his way of writing his autobiography and keeping records of his legacy. Mordecai’s loyalty and heroism was noteworthy enough to be written into Persia’s permanent history. The name of Mordecai will always be embedded in Xerxes mind and he will never forget how this brave soldier preserved his life.

Let’s Pray:

Father,

It is Your will for us to work for the peace and prosperity of the city we live in and to pray for its welfare. As our city, our leaders and our citizens prosper, everyone benefits. We lift up our city, our leaders and its citizens to You this day. We ask for Your blessing of prosperity and safety, in Jesus name, Amen.

Part 4: Esther- A Rising Star

May 28, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 2:2-4

But after Xerxes’ anger had subsided, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made. So his personal attendants suggested, “Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at the fortress of Susa. Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, will see that they are all given beauty treatments. After that, the young woman who most pleases the king will be made queen instead of Vashti.” This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect.

Today we continue with Part 4 of our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Our fourth blog, “Esther- A Rising Star” is about her life journey from childhood to becoming the Queen of Persia. The question we will address is, what kind of woman was Esther?

Four years later...

It is 4 years after the infamous 7 day extravaganza of Susa and finally, Xerxes’ anger subsides. Only then did Xerxes miss Vashti. As far as sexual relief, he had a harem. Enough said. Something very troubling was on his mind. In the past, he was able to trust and confide in Vashti. But, Vashti isn’t there.

The solution to Xerxes misery:

Well, there’s always his “Think Tank.” However, you will find that in the rest of the Book of Esther, these specific men are never mentioned by name again. Xerxes finally realized that his “Think Tank” never had his best interest at heart and now he lived with the bitter regret of taking their advice and banishing forever his most trusted confidant.

Xerxes must have been miserable and probably took it out on everyone around him, especially on his personal servants. In order to avoid the brunt of his anger and positively redirect his attention, his servants reminded their king of his decree to replace the queen. They suggested a beauty pageant enrolling only the most beautiful young virgins throughout the entire kingdom, a brilliant plan to keep King Xerxes pleasantly occupied and out of his servants’ hair. Naturally, King Xerxes agreed.

Who is Hadassah?

Esther 2:7

This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.

Introduced in verse 7 is Hadassah, a Jewish name given to this very beautiful little girl by her openly observant Jewish parents. Raised in a very spiritual culture, her training would include the study and memorization of the Old Testament, which is filled with God’s wisdom concerning every subject matter and every area of life. Now orphaned and adopted by Mordecai, he hid her true ethnicity by giving her a Persian name, Esther, meaning “star” and “hidden”.

Esther is recruited for the beauty pageant:

Esther 2: 8-9

As a result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai’s care. Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.

Meeting all the markers that qualify her for this pageant, she was recruited by the palace scouts. Along with all the other young women chosen for this contest, Esther was removed from her home forever and relocated into the king’s harem.

Hegai is impressed by Esther:

Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the virgins, must have evaluated all of the women put under his care. It would be safe to say that he thoroughly interviewed each contestant to assess their intelligence level, emotional maturity, strengths and weaknesses, and their philosophy on life. Of all the hundreds of women to choose from, it was Esther who impressed him as the most qualified candidate for Queen.

Once he determined Esther to be the most worthy candidate, he assigned her seven maids. Seven stands for completion which indicates that her every need was met. She was given a special diet of the best foods. There is another person who asked for a special diet in the palace of a king (Nebudkednezzar of Babylon, a hundred years earlier) and his name was Daniel. Being raised as an observant Jew, it would stand to reason that she asked for a very similar menu. And, she was provided with the optimal beauty treatments. Esther had such favor with Hegai, that he situated her and her maids in the most comfortable and private area in the harem, hidden from her competitors, so they wouldn’t be harassed or disturbed.

Esther keeps Her secret:

Esther 2: 10

Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so.

But this young, beautiful, orphaned girl kept a secret. Mordecai warned her not to mention that she was Jewish. I am sure that he feared that she would suffer persecution and the opportunity for advancement would be snatched out of her reach. Mordecai may have even feared for her life.

Esther is clothed with humility:

Esther 2:13

When it was time for her to go to the king’s palace, she was given her choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to take from the harem.

Esther 2:15

When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her.

As far as her outfit and accessories, she allowed Hegai to choose what she needed to wear and depended on his expertise. It was a great choice because everyone who laid eyes on her had their breath taken away. She wasn’t acting in blind obedience, but she had a submissive and compliant spirit, first to her parents, then to Mordecai, and now to Hegai. I also believe that symbolically, she was clothed in humility which produced God’s favor because God gives grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:5 (parenthesis added)

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace (favor) to the humble.

Esther’s night with King Xerxes:

Esther 2:16-18

Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. To celebrate the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther’s honor for all his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone.

Now, Esther is ready and is presented to King Xerxes in the seventh year of his reign, and he was crazy about her. Seven, the number of spiritual perfection and as far as Xerxes was concerned, she was his perfect intellectual and spiritual mate. As we noted in our previous blog, (King Xerxes), Xerxes knew how to extract information from everyone he knew, so he probably considered himself a good judge of character. I would think that he presented her with probing questions and that she responded with amazing intelligence. Her sincerity and words of wisdom must have surpassed that of any woman he had ever met. Remember, she knew the Scriptures, and like the prophet Daniel, was trained in the wisdom of God.

Esther is crowned Queen:

She had such favor with the king that he crowned her queen before he finished sleeping with the rest of the other virgins. It was an seemingly impossible task, but he actually found someone that exceeded the beauty, intelligence, and wisdom of Vashti.

Esther 2: 19-20

19 Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second harem and Mordecai had become a palace official, 20 Esther continued to keep her family background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home.

Esther- A Rising Star:

After submitting to her elders her entire young life, Esther was blessed with great authority of her own. Very soon after her coronation, she promoted Mordecai to palace official. She trusted him and he would keep her informed about what was going on. Although she officially outranked him, Esther continued to submit to her adoptive father. And as Mordecai commanded her, she kept her Jewish nationality a secret, and depended on his expertise, and followed his directions.

Let’s pray:

Father,

What a beautiful lesson to learn. True humility is not blind obedience but it does mean that I will not be difficult or have an “don’t tell me what to do” attitude. True humility acknowledges that others have more knowledge and experience than myself, and that it would be to my benefit to follow their advice. It is Your will that I treat others with respect and be compliant to authority. As I demonstrate to You my respect and compliance to others, You will bless me with authority of my own to use for Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

Part 3: Mordecai- The Soldier

May 19, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 1:5-7

At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai, son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Shimei and Kish. His family had been among those who, with King Jehoiachin of Judah, had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.

Today we continue with Part 3 of our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”, and our third blog will be about one of the main characters of our text, Mordecai: The Soldier. The question we will address is, what kind of man was Mordecai?

A Jewish Man:

Here, we are introduced to Mordecai and the first descriptor of him is that he is Jewish. This is very important to the narrative because at this point in the story, no one in Susa knew of his origin and assumed that he was a Persian.

Also, the scriptures recorded his ancestral line dating back from the time of Babylon conquering Jerusalem, approximately 100 years prior. During this raid, his great-grandfather Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, was captured along with King Jehoiachin of Judah. One can assume that after the 70 years of captivity were complete, Kish’s son, Shimei, or grandson, Jair, moved to one of the 127 Persian provinces and concealed their Jewish identity. At least several generations have lived in Susa and assimilated into the Persian culture for Mordecai to successfully hide his Jewish roots.

Lived in the Fortress of Susa:

In order to live in the fortress, you had to be a soldier or related to a soldier. The Fortress of Susa is in fact a military post located in the capital city of Persia. Military posts had warehouses for battle equipment, buildings and fields allocated for training, stalls for horses and other animals used for battle, and base housing for the soldiers. Mordecai and his family lived in the equivalent of base housing on the Fortress of Susa Military Post, which would be considered the most secure fortress in the world at that time.

Mordecai was a Soldier:

What did the life of a Persian soldier under the rule of King Xerxes entail?

Training & Battle

“Training for the army began at the age of 15. Youths were divided into 50 classes for military training under instruction included horse grooming and horsemanship, hunting, running, swimming, archery, javelin-throwing, swordsmanship, martial arts, military discipline (such as forced marches, long watches, battle drills, living off the land). Trainees were also expected to contribute to the community by developing agricultural skills. Sons of the king and nobility were also taught to cultivate administrative skills. Military service began at the age of 20 and professional soldiers were allowed to retire at 50; conscripts served for the duration of an engagement or campaign and then, if they survived, could return home until called up again.” (1)https://www.ancient.eu/Persian_Warfare/

What does all that mean? It means that Mordecai could kill a man with his thumb! He was a highly skilled soldier in the Persian Army.

Meaning of “Mordecai”:

The name Mordecai is considered a hypocorism, in other words, a word with a double meaning. Since Mordecai never revealed his Jewish origins, we can assume that the Persian translation of his name would apply, which means “Marduk is their lord”, and the nickname or hypocorism would be “little boy” (2). Marduk was actually a Babylonian deity, which is interesting because verse 6 informs us that his family was exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon. Evidently, it was the parents of Mordecai that named him after a Babylonian deity. It would stand to reason that his father, Jair, taught his son that, in order to avoid persecution and advance in life, it would be best to keep their Jewish identity hidden. Mordecai was a brave warrior, but when it came to the God of the Hebrews, he was like a little boy keeping secrets.

Mordecai adopts his cousin:

When his cousin died, it was probably prearranged to leave their only daughter to him because he was the next of kin. This would indicate that he had close emotional ties with his cousins who did not live in Susa. The girl’s name was Hadassah, but only the people from the area she was born and raised knew that. Hadassah means “myrtle” which is the Hebrew emblem of marriage (3 & 4). When Mordecai relocated her to Susa, he changed her Jewish name to a Persian name, Esther, which means “star”. Interestingly, “in the Hebrew, the first three letter root of Esther is s-t-r (סתר), and it means "hide, conceal".” (5)

Just as Mordecai’s parents hid his identity with his name, he hid Hadassah’s identity by providing her a Persian name so others would presume she was a Gentile.

Hadassah’s family:

Hadassah’s family were more than likely observant Jews. They called their daughter a very Jewish name so there was no doubt about their ethnicity, their beliefs, their Hebrew God, and their customs. Very aware of their religious stance, Mordecai ordered the girl not to reveal her origin.

Esther 2:10-11

Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so. Every day Mordecai would take a walk near the courtyard of the harem to find out about Esther and what was happening to her.

Everybody knew Mordecai:

Esther knew Mordecai as her adopted father. She had great love and respect for him, trusted his wisdom, and followed his instructions. Just as her name implied, she hid behind her new image and allowed everyone to presume that she was one of them. Her dad was a big deal in these parts. When Mordecai walked the palace grounds, all of the servants knew who he was and informed him of her daily progress. As Mordecai's daughter, Esther would be elevated in the eyes of the servants who attended to her.

Mordecai, the man:

Mordecai was Jewish, a race of people who worshiped God. His great-grandfather, a descendant of the tribe of Benjamin, was exiled to Babylon when Jerusalem was besieged. Eventually, probably in the last 30 years after the 70 years of exile was completed, most likely his father, Jair, moved to Susa and assimilated into its society. Given a Gentile name, Mordecai was taught that in order to avoid persecution and to advance in this world, he was not to disclose their ethnicity. Mordecai was a skilled, brave soldier in King Xerxes' army who was recognized by the people of the palace as someone of status. He lived in the fortress of Susa with his adopted daughter, provided for her, and raised her as his father raised him. Though they were model citizens of Persia, they were both secretive about their Jewish identity.

Let’s pray:

Father,

Give me the courage never to deny You. I am Your child, and I will not be afraid to let the world know that I belong to You. In Jesus name, Amen

References:

https://www.ancient.eu/Persian_Warfare/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordecai
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H1919&t=KJV
Dream Encounter Symbols, Barbie Breathitt Ministries, www.BreathoftheSpiritMinistries.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_(given_name)

Part 2 - Queen Vashti

May 09, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 1:9-12 NLT

At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes. On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas— to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger.

Today we continue with Part 2 of our new series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”, and our second blog will be about Queen Vashti. There’s not a lot of information about her. What I have extrapolated from the Scriptures is what is presented in this blog. The question we will address is, what kind of woman was Queen Vashti?

Queen Vashti:

While King Xerxes hosted his male guests, in a designated section of the palace, another feast was being held for all of the women by Queen Vashti. Vashti means “beautiful”, and can also mean “that drinks” and “thread” (1&2). She was considered a woman who was beautiful in countenance, highly intelligent, logical, and reasonable. But, like her husband, she also knew how to make others comfortable by use of alcohol.

She would have been held in high esteem by the King, since he elevated her up to be the role model for all the women of Susa. Evidently, he trusted her completely and allowed her to take the women of the city under her wing. She was probably one of his main advisers. Like her husband, she wined and dined her guests. Like threads on a loom, she would weave her conversation to collect data from the wives of the princes to later share and compare notes with her husband. When wives are separated from their husbands, they are not so guarded in their dialogue. Also, for the security of the women, it would be sensible for them to party away from the men who were drinking to excess in order to avoid potentially dangerous confrontations.

Mistake #1- Xerxes demands Vashti to be put on display:

On the last day of the feast for the city of Susa, King Xerxes was crazy drunk. It wasn’t enough that he ruled and reigned over the most powerful and influential men in the world. It wasn’t enough to display his enormous wealth. It wasn’t enough to prove that he was secure in himself by ruling in his unique sophisticated and collegial style. To prove his alpha dominance over all, he decided to put his wife on display. Naturally, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and she belonged to him! So he sent seven very capable eunuchs to order Vashti to pose naked on stage in front of all of these intoxicated men.

Tastefully, Vashti refused to comply:

Vashti refused! She did not want to place herself in harm's way and she probably figured that the king would come to his senses once he was sober. Naturally, she would explain to him how undignified, disrespectful, and dangerous it would be to model herself in front of hundreds of drunken, leering, and unstable men. Of course, when he sobered up and came to his senses, he would agree that she took the correct course of action. Her reaction proves that she had a relationship of mutual respect with her husband and that in the past, he was usually a reasonable man. If she had a fear of retaliation, she would not have refused his request. Unfortunately for her, this would not be the case on this particular day.

Esther 1:13-18

He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire. “What must be done to Queen Vashti?” the king demanded. “What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king’s orders, properly sent through his eunuchs? ”Memucan answered the king and his nobles, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. Before this day is out, the wives of all the king’s nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger.

The 7 Nobles of Persia:

Let’s take a look at the men who comprised King Xerxes’ “Think Tank”. He was totally dependent on them to craft and execute the laws of the land.

Carshena means “illustrious” (3). He was evidently known for his past achievement

Shethar means “star” (4). He was someone famous in his field and possibly in the area of astrology.

Admatha means “a testimony to them” (5). This man’s life was a testimony of his belief system and achievements.

Tarshish means “yellow jasper” (6). Yellow jasper was considered a very valuable stone and is considered to contain healing properties. It is probable that this person owned quarries and was a wealthy businessman.

Meres means “lofty” (7). This could refer to someone who is very tall and considers themselves superior to everyone else.

Marsena means “worthy” (8). This is a man who is considered deserving of respect.

Memucan means “dignified” (9). This is someone who is considered distinguished among his peers and has earned the respect of others.

That’s quite a group of men Xerxes had surrounding him. Yes, they were intelligent and probably attended the equivalent of military or ivy league schools. Yes, they were considered “Princes among men”. However, they were also competitive, jealous, misogynistic and self preserving.

Mistake #2- Xerxes follows the advice of his “Think Tank”:

King Xerxes is beyond humiliated because Vashti defies him, so he turns to his princes and nobles for advice. First of all, they were probably disgusted at King Xerxes’ “progressive ways” and it could never be accepted as a good idea to elevate the wife’s position as a confidant and role model. They certainly suspected that Vashti was assisting the king by sharing and comparing conversation between the wives and themselves. Honestly I believe that they could have deescalated the situation by reasoning with Xerxes explaining “how respectful she was towards the king by being so discreet and not sharing herself with the other men”. Sheepishly, he would have dismissed his command as a drunken whim and could have been pacified, even commended for having such a devoted wife! But, they were involved in a power struggle. Vashti was their most dangerous weapon and his most valuable asset. An opportunity to depose her had presented itself and she had to go!

Spinning their story with the angle of “how much women hate their husbands’”, this “Think Tank” provoked King Xerxes' anger. These advisers took advantage of Xerxes emotional melt down and immediately pointed out that his first mistake was to make her “the” leader among the women. Obviously, her vanity prevailed and they were terribly concerned how her example would influence their own wives and alter their own marriage dynamic. Also, the lower classes would no doubt hear how Vashti stood up to her husband the king, thereby giving them the courage to follow her example.

Ranting the sentiment of the time, they weaponized their words to target their prey. What! A woman leading other women? Women thinking for themselves? Women having self respect? A woman defying her husband when they don’t agree? A queen refusing the command of her King? Outrageous! Such disorder cannot exist in the kingdom! The family unit as they knew it would be destroyed forever! This “Think Tank” had decided that Vashti must be punished so severely that no other woman in the kingdom would ever dare defy any of their husband’s orders, no matter how egotistical, disrespectful, or dangerous. Not only will Vashti be deposed, but they twisted her position to be used as an example of what women ought not to do.

Esther 1:19-22

“So if it pleases the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!” The king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan’s counsel. He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases.

Mistake #3- Banishing Vashti pleases the King… for now:

Offended and inebriated, King Xerxes cared more about the approval of his princes, than he did about his own wife. He especially needed the approval of Memucan, the most dignified and respected of all the Persian princes. He must have felt that if he placated Memucan, the other princes would be satisfied with his judgement. Filled with self righteousness, he followed the guidance of his advisers and wrote a decree that could not be reversed. Vashti was banished from his sight forever, never to be in his presence again. Because of the humiliation she caused the king to suffer, she would suffer double the humiliation by being replaced by someone deemed better than herself. To keep in good standing with the men of his kingdom, King Xerxes sent out dispatches to every province stating in their own distinct dialects that men were the rulers of their households and that any demand that he roared would be instantly obeyed.

The woman, Queen Vashti:

Vashti had won the love and admiration of King Xerxes. He married her and crowned her queen because of her beauty and intelligence. She shared the same philosophy in life that congeniality and wine loosened tongues. His approval of her was demonstrated by her promotion to be the role model for all of the women of the kingdom. Xerxes knew that Vashti was savvy and his most valuable confidant. Unified with the same vision for their kingdom, she would share the information extracted from the wives of his colleagues to prevent the king from being deceived. There was no need for her to curry his favor, she already had it. There was no need to step on others for self promotion, because her throne was at the king’s right hand. King Xerxes’ good standing and preservation was also in her best interest and she faithfully performed her role. In fact, she was so truthful in her response to him, she did not hesitate to refuse his order, indicating that she felt no fear of retaliation, at least up until that point. Vashti must have been absolutely crushed when King Xerxes banished her from his life. This was not the response she expected. She deemed herself as irreplaceable and never dreamed that he would choose the respect of his colleagues over her loyalty to him.

Vashti was a true partner to her husband, used her shrewdness for their benefit, and became the victim of this very flawed man.

Let’s pray:

Father,

I ask for grace never to depend on my own savvy to manipulate circumstances or partner with other people who are manipulative. When others disappoint me, help me forgive them for wrong doing. In Jesus name, Amen.

REFERENCES:

Part 1- King Xerxes

April 24, 2020 by Cee Maria in Esther:The Story of Purim

Esther 1: 1-4 NLT

These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. 2 At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. 3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. 4 The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty.

Today we begin our new series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”, and our first blog will be about the King of Persia. There’s not a lot of information about him. What I have extrapolated from the Scriptures is what is presented in this blog. The question we will address is, what kind of man was King Xerxes?

Xerxes:

In the first sentence of the first chapter of Esther, we are introduced to Xerxes, King of Persia. Xerxes is not a name, but in fact, a title meaning “Warrior” and “Lion King” (1). Warrior indicates that he was a war time king that led and won battles. Lions are known for power, glory, courage, and strength. At this specific time in history, Persia was the greatest empire in the world and ruled from India to Ethiopia, exactly 127 provinces.

The number 127:

Numbers in the Hebrew culture are very significant. Let's take a look at the number 127.

100 = maturity, full count or measure (2)

20 = redemption, divine completion for spiritual perfection (2)

7 = completeness, wholeness, spiritual perfection (2)

Spiritual perfection means wholeness in every area of life and this is emphasized in both the numbers 20 and 7. Salvation is spiritual perfection and it means complete wholeness in every area of life, both physically and spiritually. Everything is functioning in fullness or 100, and nothing is missing or broken.

Picture these 127 provinces with an excellent governing system with a prosperous economy, living peacefully with each other, and filled with healthy, educated, law abiding citizens. An amazing achievement any time in world history!

Persia and Susa, the capital:

The empire that Xerxes rules over is Persia which is defined as “pure” or “splendid” (3). The capital, Susa, is defined as “lily” (4). Interestingly, the Persian lily is also known as the “hundred tongues lily” which is a metaphor for “those who have tongues but keep secrets” (5).

The third year of Xerxes reign:

The number three symbolizes union, approval, entirety, divine perfection, the Trinity: perfect witness & testimony (2). We can interpret that Xerxes intends to make the third year of his reign a testimony of unity among all of the leaders of his provinces.

Xerxes concern:

Xerxes understands the complexity of the size of his empire and the number of leaders of diverse nationalities and customs under his authority. He was deeply concerned about keeping this vast kingdom cohesive. There were too many provinces to visit individually, and it was imperative that he knew the status of each province and the leaders in charge.

Realizing there was only one king and many provinces, it would be impossible for him to individually visit each leader and become informed of all the issues they were facing. But, he could bring all of the leaders to him!

Answer to his problem:

Did Xerxes enjoy a good party? Yes! But, what were his intentions? It is believed that in wine, truth is spoken. Xerxes was very savvy. The best way to find out what was going on behind the scenes in each of his provinces was to wine and dine his leaders. But, first they must learn to trust him. What better way to connect with the leadership than to invite them to his home for a 6 month free vacation!

So, the King decides to throw a party in the third year of his reign. 180 days of dining, drinking, and entertainment were set aside for all of his officials, nobles, governors of Media and Persia.

Mellow from drinking too much wine, these men unreservedly loosened their tongues and unabashedly spilled their secrets. All the while, Xerxes was investigating and collecting data which he seemed to be in the habit of recording.

180 days:

Again, the numbers are important. 100 = maturity, full count or measure and 80, interestingly enough, is the number for mouth and speech (2). It is certain that there was a lot of talking going on at this party.

Vs 5-6

5 When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. 6 The courtyard was beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.

Party in Susa:

When this party is over, the King decides to invite the people of Susa and the citadel, the area of the city where the military soldiers of the city live to a banquet. The feast takes place at the court of the garden of the King’s palace and it lasts seven days, the number of completeness, wholeness, and spiritual perfection (2).

With the same Modus Operandi, Xerxes served wine to all of his subjects in Susa. But, this time, people from every socioeconomic class were invited, including the servants as well as all of the women. Being invited to the King’s garden was a great honor and made the people feel valued and welcomed. Susa was the example of how all of the other cities in the kingdom were to be modeled. And with the same listening ear, he would collect data from all of the people, from every angle, and from every station of life.

Why did the king collect data?

Kings base their decisions on the data presented before them. Xerxes took his position seriously and relied on accurate facts to avoid potential disastrous mistakes and make well informed decisions. Also, he knew when he was being lied to and who was faithful to him.

Decor signified wealth:

Nothing was overlooked. Even the decor was recorded and held significance to the story. As the people gazed at all of the marble, gold, silver, and precious stones, they were actually allowed to take a peek at the King’s bank statement. Everyone noted, including the wealthiest leaders of the provinces, that Persia was the most affluent nation in the world and Susa was dripping in wealth. Wealth was equated with power. Xerxes planted a seed in the minds of his leaders that if they stay connected with him, they too, would be as prosperous and as powerful.

Presenting King Xerxes:

King Xerxes was the powerful and mighty Lion King of the superpower of the world. His kingdom was vast and Persia was the most prosperous nation of all his empire. He was a natural born leader, warrior, strategist, and social networker who governed by facts and logic. He imparted inspiration to the leaders under his authority. He was a shrewd man who knew how to uncover secrets under the guise of familiarity.

Let’s Pray,

Father,

As I read and study the Book of Esther, I ask that You open up the eyes of my understanding. Give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation so I may know You better. Give me the grace never to abuse others through any form of deceit. By your grace, I am sincere in all I do and my motive is to bring You glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

https://namemeaningsdictionary.com/search.php?q=xerxes&cat=names&search=
Dream Encounter Symbols, Barbie Breathitt Ministries, www.breathofthespiritministries.com
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6539&t=NLT
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7800&t=NLT
Ahmad Aryavand and Bahram Grami, "LILY," Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, 2015, available at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/lily (accessed on 29 June 2015).